Tube-swaging machine



April-14, 1931- H. A; HIGGINS ET AL TUBE SWAGING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2. 1926 futon/wad m ww bm NF mm o l M b April 14, 1931. H. A. mesms ETAL TUBE SWAGING' MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1926 m m \BQNI \UON [1 m mw l Q o .O 1| 1l0 "HI RN 4] l m MN W mm a l I I 1; N. r- MN. MN NN WN NNWN w mm v i mN mN April 14 1931. H. A. HIGGINS ET AL TUBE SWAGING MACHINE Fiid Jan. 2. 1926 3 Shets-Sheet 3 N m mN N G h Patented Apr. 14, 1931 unman! STATES PAT NT- meg HARRY A. HIGGINS AND CLIFFORD aniesms, or ton'rnorr, ICHIGA 'nnrnoxr Ann sncucarmy TRUST comrnnmrnustrnn OF isnln HARRY A HIGGINS, DECEASED, AS-

'runnsswneme MACHINE Applicationifiled Jenuar a 1926. Seria1 Nb. 7 8,885.;

Gour invention aims to pro'vide'a swaging machine in which the ends of the tubes may beexpe'ditiously economically swaged, the machine being ofthat type in which a quantity oftubes may be'placedand automat- :ically operated upon Without the attention of an attendant, other than that of loading I the machinefroin time to time and removing the swa'ged' rate.

= Our machine wi-llbe hereinafter specifica- "l'ydescribed andthen'claimed, and reference I a Will nOW be had to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine with the central portion thereof brokenaway; Fig. 2 is a"hori zontal sectionalview of the machine;

Fig. 3 is across sectional view of the machine;

v Fig. t is a cross sectional View of a portion of the machine showing one of the cam memj bers;

one of the swaging instrumentalities' relative to the end of the tube; v

" Fig. Bis als'imi'lar view showingthe swaging instrumentality actuated to shapethe end of the tube; x I

Fig. 7 is a vvperspective view of atube end before being swaged, and

Fig.18'is a simll' r V ew of the tube end after being swaged.

, "Our inventmncompnses a suitable" base 1 provided -withfrend frames '2 and mounted on said end frames are bearings 3-for alon- 1 5 is an example :of various kinds of powerd evi'eesrlthat'wi'll facilitate rotation'of the :g-itudinall-y disposed driven shaft 4- having one-end thereof provided with a "pulley 5 by;

which the shaft may be driven. The pulley Mounted on the central portion of theshaft e is atube carrier, composed of a plurality of spaced cylindrical members or drums 6 ;ha-ving the peripheries :thereof provided with longitudinal tangentially disposed gro'ovesfor pockets? adapted to automatically pick .up or receive tubes, 8 from a tube magazine 9a'having an inclinedhottom wall 10a which causes rotary tube carrier.

thetubesZS to .feed towards and against the longitudinal sectional View of i The tube carrying members'fi maybe spaced 7 apart to cooperate in supporting tubes of various lengths so that the ends of thetubes will project from the endmost mem'bers. j

Mounted on the shaft't, adjacent theends of the rotary tube carrier, are holders 9 for ci-rcumferential ly arranged swaging instrumentalities adapted to operate upon the projecting end s of the tubes'8. The holders 9 am:

identical in construction and one need only be described with special reference to Figs, 5

and 6;

Each swagi-ng instrumentality comprises a plunger 10 having one end thereofprovided "with ahead 11 abutting "one end of the holder.9 and retained in engagement therewith by the expansive force of a spring 121en circling the plunger 10 between the holderand'a spring abutment, 13nnounted .on the plunger against plunger.

i The plunger 11 has aiseat 15 for a sw'aging die lGhaving an end" configuration 17:"to

' receive the end of a tube 8, The die 16 is tubular and containsa'stripper 18 held stationary by a screw 19 -of':the holder 9; said screw extending through :a slot '20 in the plunger 10. The plunger 10 has a bore21 'to receive the, stripper "and while this stripper is held stationary by the holder 9 the j plunger 10 may be actuated'to swage, con

astop pin '14 :carriedby the 1y buckle therein "due to :endwisfe pressure.

When the springs 12 retract the :plungers .10,'

the sw gingdies 16 are pulled off .of theends of the tube, but should \oneor .both .of said dies itendto .skidthe strippers 18 will prevent the :tube from following either die as it is retracted.

Fixed to the end bearings 3 and surround- :ing the shaft 4 are the hub portions 23 o'f j semi -cylindrical stationary members 24 hay;

the protruding 'ends of the tubes 8.

The SUPPOYCSQG and 28 cooperate in supporting the tube magazine 9a which has its end walls cut away toprovide clearance for the rotary tube carrier and thus permit of the bottom wall 100; extending in proximity to they rotary carrier.

On the base 1, below the rotary tube carrier, may be placed a tube container 29 to receive tubes from the grooves or pockets 7 of the rotary carrier.

In'operation, the shaft 4 is driven in a counter clockwise direction viewing Fig. 3, and tubes 8 are picked up from the magazine 9a and carried around towards the container 29. As the tubes leave the magazine 9a the plungers 10 encounter the upper ends of the cammembers 25, and the rise of each cam member is gradual so that the plungers will be gradually actuated to force the dies 16 on The swaging operations are carried onuntilthe lower ends of the cam members 25am reached, where the plungers 10 are abruptly released by said cam members; there being somewhat of a snap action which will withdraw the dies from olf-of'the ends of the tubes. 1As

the dies release the'tubes at the lower ends of the cam members the tubes are then free to drop by gravity out of the grooves or pockets 7 into the container 29.

Our invention may be advantageously used for producing tubes or conduits adapted to form part of automobile radiators and other cooling devices, wherein the ends of the tubes 7 are mounted in headers, tank walls, fins and heat disseminating elementsl Ordinarily, the tubes are cut-to desired length and in. cutting or sawing the tubes burrs or rough edges often remain; Sometimes the wallof a'tube is distorted. by the sawing or cutting operation, and the burrs,irregularltics and wall distortions often destroy the metallic contact of the tube with an adjoining member.

which'hasbeen somewhat exaggerated in the In the manufacture of radiators it is essential that there be a positive metallic contact of tubes, fins and the like for radiation purposes, and in designing our swaging machine We have aimed to eliminate burrs, irregularities and wall distortions so that there may be a positive and reliable fitting together of tubes, fins and the like. The swaging action,

drawings, is adaptedto shear off burrs or de- 7 press the same, smooth out irregularities, and

pers therein,

properly shape any distorted tube Wall so that the end of the tube is perfect for mount- 7 ing in the core of a radiator. 7

It is thought that the operation and utility of our swaging machine will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawings there is illustrated a preferred embodimentof our invention, it' is tolbe understood that the structural elements-are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended "claims. 7'

hat We claim is 1. In a tube swaging machine, a driven r0- tary tube carrier having longitudinal grooves adapted to support a plurality of tubes horizontally, a tube magazine adapted to contain tubes horizontally and receiving the groove portion of said carrier, (a holder driven in synchronism'with said carrier, swaging instrumentalities carried by said'holder and adapted for swaging the ends of tubes carried by said carrier,'and stationary means engaged by said swaging. instrumentalities adapted to actuate said swaging instrumentalities for swaging purposes.

2. In a tube swaging machine, a driven rotary tube carrier, a holder driven in, synchronism with said carrier, swaging instrumentalities carried by saidholder and'adapted for swaging the ends of tubescarried by said tube carrier, stationary means engaged by said swaging instrumentalities adapted to actuate said swaging instrumentalities for swaging purposes, each'swaging instrumentalityincluding a plunger, a swaging head carried bysaid said plunger. V

.3. A tube swaging machine comprising tube carrying means from which the ends of thetubes project to be swaged, two sets of swaging instrumentalities adjacent said tube plunger, and a stripper in carrying means and, adapted to simultaneously operate uponthe ends of a tube, sta tionary means engageable by saidswaging instrumentalities to cause a 'gradualactuation of said swaging instrumentalities, and supporting means for said tube carrying means and said swaging instrumentalities so that saidtube carrying means and said swag ing instrumentalities may be-moved in unison relative to said stationary means, the said swaging instrumentalities including reciprocable swaging heads with stationary strip- 4. A tube swaging machine as'called for in claim 3 further characterized by means for abruptly withdrawing'the swaging instrumentalities from said tube ends.

5. A tube swaging machine as called forin claim 3, wherein'said stationary means includes cam members by which said swaging instrumentalities are gradually placed in operation and quickly released.

mounted thereon.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

HARRY A. HIGGINS. CLIFFORD B. I-IIGGINS. 

